The present invention relates to a furniture accessory in the form of a cable basket.
For furniture in the form of a table or a wall cupboard, electric cables and electric multiple socket outlets are preferably positioned under a table top or under a baseplate of the wall cupboard and are retained there by a cable basket so that the electric cables and electric multiple socket outlets do not lie on the floor where they would present a tripping hazard and, moreover, are disadvantageous from an aesthetic point of view.
In the case of conventional tables, in particular desks, which are known from the prior art, cable baskets are provided which are mounted under the table top. These cable baskets are fastened rigidly under the table top, i.e. in a manner such that they cannot tilt and cannot be varied in angle, so that the accommodation space thereof is always accessible. However, a disadvantage of these cable baskets is that the accommodation space or storage volume cannot be closed, and therefore cables or multiple socket outlets which are stored therein can fall out thereof relatively easily. Furthermore, the cables or multiple socket outlets stored in the accommodation space are visible from outside, which is disadvantageous from an aesthetic point of view.
DE 41 03 708 A1 discloses a cable duct for receiving cables. The cable duct comprises two side walls which enclose an angle of approximately 90° and on the respective end regions of which a respective retaining element is provided in the form of a retaining groove provided with an undercut. The two side walls form a bracket which can be connected, for example in the corner region of a room, to two walls or in the corner region of a table to a table top and to a rear wall of the table. The cable duct further comprises a lid, on the end regions of which fastening elements in the form of thickenings which are circular in cross section are respectively arranged. The fastening elements of the lid can be pressed into the retaining grooves through insertion openings, thereby making it possible to close an accommodation space of the cable duct. The accommodation space can be accessed by pulling a fastening element out of a retaining element, said retaining element being deformed at least temporarily in so doing. In this state, the lid can be swivelled relative to the bracket about a swivel axis, which is defined by the other retaining element. The cable duct can thereby be opened on two sides and can be loaded from two sides.
However, a disadvantage of this cable duct is that in order to connect the fastening elements to the retaining elements and to separate them, the retaining elements have to be at least temporarily deformed, and therefore the material of the retaining elements inevitably becomes fatigued, and the retaining elements can be damaged. Furthermore, the opening and closing procedures of the cable duct are very awkward, because the catch between the retaining elements and fastening elements has to be released or produced with a relatively great amount of force.